Monday, January 13, 2014

While for a lot of people Faber-Castell seems to be the German pen maker no one ever really thinks of I've been impressed by their Pen of the Year series for a long time. Only a few of them I really like and one of them has taken my breath away: the 2004 version done in amber.

There are six amber rings, cut and fitted by hand and set off with platinum plated rings, cap and end cap.

Graf von Faber-Castell Pen of the Year 2004

There's really not that much more to say about the pen so I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves.

The amber is deep and rich, like solid sunlight and honey. It is milky white in places and clear gold in others.

Graf von Faber-Castell Pen of the Year 2004

Beautiful to the touch, too.

I know it's just a pen - but it's a beautiful one. I believe I already wrote about how I used to collect minerals. Now strictly speaking amber isn't a mineral but I still did have a few pieces, some with enclosed insects (is this the appropriate phrasing? I couldn't find a proper translation). I've always been fascinated by it. Later when I started to discover incense and fragrances I sometimes used to heat a pin over a candle flame and touch it to my piece of amber so it would issue a unique and aromatic scent.